Service Matters • August 2018

Monday, 06 August 2018

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GreySheeters AnonymousWorld Services (GSAWS) - Board of Trustees

Announcements

NEXT Meet the Board Zoom Town Hall Meeting: Sunday, September 16 at 10:00 AM EST

The next open-to-everyone Town Hall Meeting with the GSAWS Board of Trustees will be held on Sunday, September 16 at 10:00 AM EST. The Board is planning to do this once per quarter. The last meeting was held in June and over 50 GreySheeters attended either by video or on the phone.

Call to Action: We encourage all GSR’s and ISR’s to collect questions and concerns from their groups and send to the Communications Committee at ekwiard@gmail.com by August 15, 2018. These will be compiled and forwarded to the Board of Trustees so that they can respond to them at the September 16 Zoom meeting. Service Matters will post the general questions in their September issue prior to the Town Hall Meeting on Sunday the 16th. Questions can also be sent to the same email address by individuals.

If any GreySheeter would like to attend but is not sure how to download the Zoom app on their computer or device, feel free to contact ekwiard@gmail.com by September 10, the sooner the better. Telephone participation is also possible. Phone numbers and the Zoom Meeting ID will be published in the September Service Matters.

Q & A Corner

Question:Our Seventh Tradition states, "There are no dues or fees for GSA membership. We are fully self-supporting declining outside contributions." Why are donations to the GS World Service necessary?

Answer:From the AA pamphlet, “Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix”

…”When we are generous with the hat [as in passing the hat] we give a token that we are grateful for our blessings and evidence that we are eager to share what we have found with all those who still suffer.”

“Self-support begins with me, because I am part of us--the group. We pay our rent and utility bills...We support our central office, our area committee, and our General Service Office. If it were not for these entities, many new people would never discover the miracles of AA.” Likewise, in GSA, the website, the centralized information, phone list, current events, monthly treasury reports, all make our fellowship accessible to the wider world.

When asked, a few GreySheeters shared how they contribute: One wrote, “I give $2 per meeting, either through PayPal or by check to the treasurer of the group. I also am part of Club 164 which started a couple of years ago. I automatically send $10 a month to GSA. My group distributes the 7th tradition money on a regular basis to our intergroup and GSAWS. It helps me feel connected and is a concrete way for me to give back.”Another GreySheeter said, “I also donate $10/month to GSAWS, and I have figured out that I can budget $20/month total to meetings that I attend regularly.

We realize that for many of our members, especially in the beginning, buying abstinent groceries and fresh produce is an expense that is new for us. Junk food that was killing us is less expensive, except when eating it by the shopping- bagful!!

Often it isn’t the quantity but the consistency of giving something that we can afford. If every one of our members gave even $1 a week to GSAWS, our fellowship would be in much better shape financially.

We have a year until the next GSAWS conference. That means each group has time to start accruing money to send a GSR to the conference to represent them. One group has decided to wait until they have enough money to send their GSR before contributing to the Intergroup Rep’s expenses.

The GreySheet Committee Report(8/03/18 update)

The GreySheet Committee is working to clarify the definition of GreySheet abstinence and to draft guidance for sponsors who wish to sponsor GreySheet abstinence. We hope that our fellowship will unite again around a common understanding of GreySheet abstinence.

We have met twicea month since February. We are reviewing the GreySheet document to identify those areas that might have led different members of our fellowship to different interpretations of GreySheet-abstinence. After a discussion, we agree on a statement that captures our common understanding of that item on the GreySheet. Each statement has “substantial unanimity,” that is, at least 75% of members vote “yes” AND those who vote “no” or abstain (the “minority opinion”) do not have any serious disagreement.

The first set of items we covered was “fats,” i.e., how does the Cambridge GreySheet community interpret the GreySheet when it comes to adding or using butter, oil, and dressing, etc. We are still working on what the GreySheet says about vegetables including our use of tomato products. Once we finish our item by item review of the GreySheet itself, we will go back to make sure our statements are consistent and that a substantial unanimity of the committee members still supports them all. Then we will tackle questions that have arisen from our discussion and the input of others. As you can see, we are working very deliberately to ensure consensus.

Please watch this space for regular updates about our work. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email GreySheetCommittee@greysheet.org. And thanks to those who have already emailed.

For this 4th WSC, all Intergroup Service Reps (ISRs) and Group Service Reps (GSRs) (one year of back to back GS abstinence) are welcome to attend. If you have never been to a WSC, it is quite a wonderful, educational and productive experience. We would like to encourage all groups and intergroups to begin to prepare financially in order to send as many members as possible.

The WSC is led by the Board of Trustees. There are several committees who propose motions and recommendations - several are put to a vote. If you are interested in reading the documents from the 2016 WSC, please visit https://www.greysheet.org/index.php/world-services/world-service-conference. The committees' goal is to post their motions and recommendations for the 2019 WSC by April 2019 - giving groups ample time to discuss.The Conference Committee (formerly known as the Logistics Committee) is concerned with the general nature of the World Service Conference. This includes planning, preparing and organizing the conference as a whole including registration, lodging, food and providing suggestions for transportation to the conference. The Conference Committee has been instrumental in compiling the GSA World Service Conference Charter. This was addressed at the 2016 Conference and will be on the agenda of the 2019 Conference.

The costs will be three-fold: transportation to the conference and back (planes, taxis etc.), a registration fee, and the cost of housing which includes a two night stay and six beautiful GS meals at the Cenacle. The Conference Committee is finalizing the budget and will post details within the next two to three months. Your groups should start collecting donations to fund a representative now.

The Conference Committee is currently meeting for one hour weekly by phone on Monday evenings at 8:30pm eastern time. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Conference Committee and you are a GSR or ISR, please e-mail marjorie.mayerson@gmail.com. Non-voting volunteers are welcome and much appreciated.